An App for Zap

By Cynthia Wilfert

“There is a storm in the southern quadrant,” VERA announced.

Jasper looked up from his charts. “Are you malfunctioning?”

“No, Dr. Beck,” the AI intoned. “I detected an electrical charge consistent with the phenomenon of lightning.”

“That’s not possible.” Jasper crossed the lab in three strides and pulled up the visual feed. Heavy raindrops obscured the camera. Through the blur, he made out a distinct bolt of light in the clouds. “How?”

Jasper’s fingers flew over the keys, scrawling lines of code.

When they’d chosen to colonize this planet, he’d expected the terraforming to go smoothly. But he’d underestimated the challenges… and the timeline. VERA was programmed to maintain day-to-day operations inside the biodomes so Jasper could focus on their bigger problems.

The weather was managed in strict patterns for optimal living conditions. They did not have storms.

But nothing was out of place in the program.

“As I stated, I have no record of malfunction,” VERA said.

“The problem likely originates at the site.” Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll have to go down there.”

“It is good for you to get out of the lab,” VERA said. No doubt she’d perused the human wellness recommendations in her database.

Jasper grumbled and headed for the repair van. It lumbered, but at least it was well equipped. By the time he arrived at the southernmost town, puddles were the only remnant of the storm.

His tablet pinged. “Go ahead, VERA.”

“In reviewing all surrounding footage, I have discovered something of interest. It should be on your screen now.”

A camera on the edge of town showed the downpour in the distance. It had also captured a small figure rolling past, watching. Jasper squinted. “What on earth?”

“I believe it is a boy on a bicycle. Also, we are not on earth.”

With a long-suffering sigh, Jasper hopped from the van and entered the café at the center of town. He held up the tablet as the waitress approached. “Have you seen this kid?”

She watched the footage. “Looks like Jackson Payne. Local teenager. Lives on the outskirts. If he’s not working, you’ll find him out on his bike.”

“If the weather’s good?”

“Oh, the weather’s always good for him.” She shook her head. “It’s the darnedest thing. Never rains on Payne.”

“What?”

“Kid’s got the magic touch. Every time he’s riding around town, we get sunshine… even when it’s not scheduled.”

Jasper thanked her and left the café. He stared off into the distance, contemplative. “VERA, find that bicycle.”

VERA directed him to a narrow access road in the forest. Jasper parked, tapping the steering wheel while he waited.

The mountain bike emerged from a path through the trees.

Jasper opened the door. “Jackson Payne?” he called.

The boy skidded to a stop and pulled off his sunglasses. “Most folks just call me Payne.”

“Fitting,” Jasper muttered. Louder, he said, “I’m Dr. Beck. I need to speak with you about the weather.”

He expected denial, or perhaps belligerence. Instead, the boy laughed. “Took you long enough. Dude, I hacked you months ago.”

Jasper blinked. “Pardon?”

“I created a back door into your system. What do you call her… VERA? She’s amazing!” Payne leaned the bike against a nearby tree and strolled closer. “Don’t worry; I didn’t mess with anything crucial. I just made an app that piggybacks off your weather programming, so I can tweak it.”

“You made an app,” Jasper repeated, doubtful.

Payne whipped out a handheld device and wiggled it.

“An old smartphone?”

“I rigged some solar batteries and got it working again. Watch!”

Payne swiped the screen a few times. A shadow fell over them. Jasper looked up to find grey clouds forming, blocking the artificial sunlight. “Huh.”

“I like to get out and ride. But my schedule doesn’t always jive with your weather plans.”

“Then why the storm?”

“I was experimenting with the app, and… it got out of hand. But boy, did everyone get excited!” Payne shrugged. “People like variety.”

“Not everyone.” Jasper frowned. “Some prefer nice routines they can count on.”

Payne grimaced. “Boring. Too predictable. Life doesn’t want to be controlled. Ooh! Can I show you something else?”

He beckoned to Jasper, who reluctantly followed into the trees.

“I’ve explored most of the terrain out here. The illusions are impressive, but…” Payne stepped up to a specific tree, took three steps to the right, and knocked on open air. A solid thump sounded. “I found the edge.”

“Of course you did.” Jasper stood beside him and extended his palm to rest against the slightly concave, invisible surface. He glanced at Payne, considering. Then he pulled out his tablet and brought up schematics. “VERA, turn down the opacity on panel 16453-A.”

She hesitated. “Is that a good idea, Doctor?”

Payne smirked. “Cheeky. I like her.”

Jasper huffed. “Just do it, please.”

The forest imagery faded, revealing the reality outside their carefully engineered bubble.

The atmosphere had a brownish hue. Fierce wind churned like a massive sandstorm. In spots, the ground seemed to be melting. An unstable apocalypse, as far as the eye could see.

Payne gasped and took a step backward.

Jasper watched him closely. “The terraforming isn’t going as well as we’d hoped. We have to move faster, and our resources in the domes are limited.”

Payne swallowed hard. “Why are you showing me this?”

“You hacked VERA. You’re clearly very bright. You need a challenging purpose.” Jasper pressed a few buttons and the panel transformed again, showing only forest. “Come work for me.”

Payne stared at him. Then he looked back at the panel. Finally, he said, “Can I bring my bike?”

Jasper sighed. “I’ve been told it’s good to get out of the lab sometimes.”

“Can I have sunshine?”

“Could I stop your sunshine if I wanted to?”

Payne grinned. “Probably. If you applied yourself.”

Jasper rolled his eyes and turned back toward his vehicle. He regretted this already.

Overhead, the clouds parted and rolled away.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cynthia Wilfert is a graphic designer by day. She enjoys photography, nature and animals, especially her beloved, spoiled dachshund. She named him Pippin, after the hobbit in The Lord of the Rings. She has enjoyed a life-long love of stories that progressed from Nancy Drew to classics like The Chronicles of Narnia and an eclectic mix of newer tales. With a particular fondness for mysteries and fantasy, she’s now sharing some stories of her own.

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